


as to ease a great loneliness

by lionessvalenti



Category: Captain America (Movies), Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: Bucky Barnes Lives, First Kiss, First Time, Golden Age (Narnia), M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:41:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22609453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lionessvalenti/pseuds/lionessvalenti
Summary: When Bucky falls from the train, he lands not in the hands of HYDRA, but into Narnia where he's found by King Edmund.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Edmund Pevensie
Comments: 6
Kudos: 55
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 5





	as to ease a great loneliness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aurilly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aurilly/gifts).



Edmund stood on the train platform holding Lucy's hand. It was bad enough they were being sent away, but he was forced to stand on this crowded platform holding his youngest sister's hand. Lucy wasn't prone to running off, but Peter had told him to hold her hand, and if he spotted Edmund letting go, Edmund would be told off for the entire train ride to the country. It wasn't worth it.

He looked around at all the people, mostly other children also being sent out of London, trying to appear as if he were by himself. His eye caught a group of American soldiers crossing the platform. There were five of them, but Edmund's gaze went to one particularly handsome man with blue eyes and dark hair beneath his hat.

Edmund's face grew hot as the men approached. He knew such thoughts were wrong, but he still stood up a bit straighter, hoping the man would notice him and think he was an adult, and not some child.

The soldier didn't look his way as they passed. Being ignored was worse than being dismissed. He didn't even register.

"Americans," Edmund sneered to Lucy.

"I suppose they are," she said, noticing the soldiers for the first time.

Edmund thought about the soldier for most of the train ride, and then never thought about him again.

_some time later..._

Bucky was strangely calm when he woke in a bed that was not his own. He had been sleeping in a lot of beds that weren't his own, but this one wasn't an army issue cot, it was a real bed. It was soft and warm, and he was comfortable.

I died, he thought. That explained a lot as the last thing he remembered was failing to capture Steve's hand and falling from the train. He couldn't remember the impact. There wasn't any pain, but he remembered fear. In that moment, he feared his death.

"You're awake, dear, good, good. How are you feeling?"

Bucky turned his head, following the sound of a female voice and came face to face with a rabbit. She was the biggest rabbit he'd ever seen, with brown fur and huge eyes, standing on her hind legs and peering at him.

"I'm dead, right?" he asked. It was the only logical explanation for any of this.

She laughed. "No, dear, you're very much alive. And quite lucky the patrol found you when they did." She turned to another rabbit and said, "Go get King Edmund. He asked to be alerted when the soldier awoke."

The second rabbit nodded and hopped out of the room.

"Bucky," he said as he sat up. He wiped a hand over his eyes. He noticed he wasn't wearing his clothes, but a white nightshirt. "My name is Bucky. If I'm not dead, where am I?"

The rabbit blinked, as if she wasn't sure what he meant. "You're in Narnia. You were found by the king's patrol of the woods not a day ago."

"Oh. Right." That meant nothing to him. Was that in France? That didn't explain the talking rabbit. "I fell. I think I hit my head."

"I imagine you did." She patted his arm with her soft paw. She looked like she was going to say something else, but her eyes widened a bit. "Oh, King Edmund, good."

Bucky followed her gaze to the door where a man stood. He looked a bit like he was in a film costume, with a loose fitting white shirt, high waisted pants, and a red cape. He was handsome like a film star, too, the sort that made Bucky squirm during matinees when he was younger. As an adult, he simply stared.

"Could I have a minute?" the king asked.

The rabbit smiled -- it was strange to see a rabbit smile, her mouth not quite built for it -- and nodded. "Of course, your grace."

Once the room was cleared, King Edmund perched himself on the edge of the bed. Upon closer inspection, he looked young, maybe twenty-one, which wasn't much younger than Bucky, but it felt young. He peered at Bucky carefully for a long moment. "You're a Son of Adam, yes? I mean to say, human? From Earth."

What the hell kind of question was that? A direct one, at least. Bucky nodded. "Yeah, I'm human. From Earth. My name is Bucky."

The king smiled triumphantly. "Bucky, I knew you were. Your uniform, I remembered it from another time. Men, men from Earth don't come into Narnia often. Aslan must have a great purpose for you."

Bucky had never heard the word _Aslan_ before, but it gave him a sense of calm and understanding. There was no sense questioning this world too much. Rabbits could talk, sure, and maybe he _was_ dead, but he was here now. He should move forward with what this new world had to offer him.

"If there aren't many men here, what can I do?" Bucky asked.

King Edmund's eyes lit up. "You're a soldier, yes?"

"Yeah. Sergeant in the Army." Bucky thought back where he had left off. Steve and the other Howlies, going on without him. But barely dressed in front of a king was hardly the time to mourn his own life. "You have an army?"

"Soldiers I have. I have commanders and teeth, but I would like some steel in the royal guard."

Bucky blinked. "Steel. Do you mean swords?"

"Yes, of course."

"Look, where I'm from, we use guns. I've never picked up a sword in my life."

"You can be taught, I'm sure," King Edmund replied. He placed his hand on Bucky's shoulder and squeezed it. "Rest, Bucky. We'll talk again."

Bucky nodded. "Thank you, your, uh, highness?"

The king smiled as he stood, his cape swishing out after him. "You can call me Edmund."

* * *

Edmund's mind wasn't on dinner, so he pushed his food around his plate. It would only sound strange to mention it if he made it strange, so he announced, "The man we found on the patrol yesterday awoke. He's from Earth."

"Earth!" Susan exclaimed. "How interesting."

Earth was a strange memory for all of them. They remembered, collectively, that they were from there (Lucy less so, being the youngest), but Narnia was their home. This was where they grew up, this was where they made their lives, and everything from Earth was from some other life that was generally inconsequential.

Peter didn't look as impressed by this information. "Are you certain? He could be from Calormen, sent to spy upon us."

"He looks nothing like the Calormene," Edmund replied, knowing he sounded defensive. "According to the nurse, he was quite confused by how he'd come to be in Narnia. He wore the garb of a soldier, not a spy."

"I think it's marvelous, Edmund saving a man out of the forest," Lucy said, quite diplomatically. "Has he come for a reason?"

"It's difficult to say," Edmund said carefully, "but I do believe he was sent by Aslan to aid us in whatever lies ahead."

Peter's face pinched in the way that meant he wanted to say something, but was refraining. Edmund was accustomed to this face pointed in his direction. Instead of criticizing, he said, "What use do you imagine for him?"

Edmund willed himself not to flush to moderate result. He _had_ been distracted by how handsome Bucky was, and had perhaps imagined a few uses that were certainly not appropriate for the table, and certainly not in front of his sisters. He cleared his throat.

"I was thinking he might find a place in the royal guard. The Wolves can train him on protocol, and he does need to learn how to use a sword. I'm willing to take the time to teach him myself."

"Are you suggesting you're a better swordsman?" The pinched look was gone from Peter's face, and now he was grinning. Sometimes, older brothers never change.

Susan rolled her eyes. "Oh, Peter, really. You're both fine swordsmen, but Ed is most definitely a better teacher. He explains himself much more clearly."

"Thank you, Su," Edmund said, rather quietly.

Peter nodded. "Then it's settled."

Edmund picked at his dinner, and when the meal had finished, he declined the offer of wine and dessert and excused himself. He was halfway to his bedchamber, when Lucy joined him, lacing her arm through his, holding onto him.

"Tell me, is he very nice to look upon?"

With the direct nature of her question, Edmund couldn't hold back his flush this time. "I wouldn't know," he muttered. "You'll have to tell me when you meet him."

Lucy hmmed a quiet agreement. "Do you remember when the dignitaries from Archenland came last summer and that maid kept batting her eyelashes in your direction?"

Edmund blinked at her. "I remember the dignitaries."

"I thought as much. Do you also remember the young knight with the black hair? I recall your gaze upon him often."

His already hot face flared up again. "You're too observant. It's not healthy."

Lucy stopped in her tracks, stopping Edmund with her. She stepped in front of him, taking both of his hands in her own. "If you want company, Edmund, you should have it."

Of all his siblings, Lucy was the most compassionate and understanding. Many times, Edmund took this for granted, but in this moment, he did not. He relaxed. "It might not matter. I've only spoken to him once."

"You will speak to him again." She lifted herself onto her tip-toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "And you'll have a wonderful time."

Lucy was unendingly optimistic. Edmund, less so. Still, her simple acceptance and encouragement was exactly what Edmund needed and he retired with a smile on his face.

* * *

In the days that followed, Bucky learned several things. Firstly, talking Wolves were not as whimsical as talking Rabbits. They were aggressive and despite being able to reason, were still wild animals. Secondly, sword fighting was a complicated and a lot more difficult than he imagined. 

"You're dropping your shoulder again," Edmund said, sounding far more patient than he had any right to. Bucky's shoulder was a point of contention.

Bucky sheathed the sword. He'd been told it was a lighter practice sword, but it was heavy in his hand, his arm aching. He wasn't even wearing the heavy chainmail he'd seen Edmund wear, though at this time, both of them were wearing lightweight linens. "Are you sure you're not wasting your time? Maybe I'm not your guy."

Edmund gazed at him, eyes bright and pleased, a little smile on his face. "You're improving, I promise. It's a simple skill, it takes time, and time spent with you is not a waste." A warm breeze blew through the courtyard, rustling Edmund's hair. He had lovely hair, dark and wavy, curling around around his ears where, to Bucky's eye, it had grown a bit long.

When he looked at Bucky like that, said things like that, with the wind rustling his hair like that, Bucky could not blame himself for being distracted. He was increasingly fond of Edmund, but he couldn't afford to be distracted by him.

"Should we go again, then?" Bucky asked, hand going back to the hilt.

"No, let's have a break from the sword," Edmund replied. "How would you like to take a ride?"

Bucky relaxed. "Yes, that... sounds great."

Among the things Bucky needed to learn upon his arrival to Narnia, riding a horse was among them. Unlike swordplay, he had taken to riding easily. He was still a novice, but improving was relaxing instead of a trial.

He tacked his horse under Edmund's watchful eye while mentally repeating the steps to himself. 

"Ah, like this," Edmund said, reaching for a strap, just as Bucky went for it. Their hands brushed against each other. Bucky turned his head to look at Edmund, who was flushing, but looking straight ahead. 

Bucky resisted the urge to kiss that pink cheek. He hadn't been in Narnia long, but most of his time had been spent with Edmund. He didn't think the gesture would be unwelcome, but he was nervous to make such a bold first move. He should start easier, like maybe holding on the next time their hands touched. Something he could laugh off if his instincts were wrong. You couldn't go back from a kiss.

Once the horses were ready, Bucky and Edmund took to the forest. It was quiet and peaceful, with only the sounds of the wind rustling through the trees and the birds talking above them.

"I know I've put a lot on you in a short amount of time," Edmund said. "You can tell me if it's too much."

"It's not too much," Bucky replied quickly. "It's a lot, yeah, but it's... it's keeping me busy. I like that. I'm exhausted, but I'm happy. I like spending the time with you."

Edmund grinned, and Bucky knew that had been the right thing to say. He liked making Edmund smile. The smile faded, however, when they heard a scream for help ahead.

Without a word, Edmund and his horse took off like a shot. Bucky followed, but he wasn't as skilled a rider. He didn't want to go too fast, even as to keep up with the king. Even so, it didn't take Bucky long to find the source of the commotion.

A mother Fox with two kits stood at the edge of a lake. She was pointing out to Edmund, who had dismounted and was now crouched down next to her, the large tentacled creature in the water that had her third child wrapped around the middle. The kit was screaming for help, the screams disappearing as the tentacle went underwater, taking the kit with it, before surfacing again, the kit gasping and shouting.

"It came out of nowhere," she said breathlessly. "It came up from the depths and grabbed him. I've never seen anything like it."

"We'll get him," Edmund said. He rose and surveyed the situation, calculating a plan.

Bucky did not survey anything. If he would have asked himself what Steve would do, he knew the answer without even considering it. He all but jumped from his horse and dove into the water. His clothes were soaked through immediately, weighing him down, as did the sword strapped to his hip.

The sword.

Bucky grasped the hilt and unsheathed the sword as he approached the creature. "Let him go!" he shouted, hoping this is one of the reasonable creatures. Wild, sure, but perhaps it could be reasoned with, like the Wolves.

The creature brought its tentacle down under the water, taking the kit with it.

Not a creature to be reasoned with. Bucky swam in closer, ducking beneath another tentacle to get near the one holding onto the kit. He dove beneath the surface, and there he could see the gaping mouth of the creature, a black hole lined with teeth. Bucky was unsteady with the sword, but he could still bring it down on the tentacle. The creature screamed, the sound diffused by the water, but still terrible. He had made a clean swipe, but the cut was deep enough for the creature to release the child.

With his free hand, Bucky gathered the kit up, tucking him beneath his arm and swam to shore. He lifted the kit up, placing it on the solid ground.

"Mother!" the shaking kit called as he ran to her. She began licking his face to dry him as the other two kits gathered around him.

Edmund grabbed Bucky round the collar of his shirt and hoisted him up out of the lake. "That was foolish," he said, clapping Bucky on the back as he coughed up a bit of lake water. "We could have worked together for much less risk. But you saved that kit's life. Much longer beneath the water..."

"He's all right," Bucky said. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand. "That's all that matters."

"And if the creature had grabbed you next?" Edmund dropped his hand on Bucky's shoulder and squeezed him tightly.

"It's a risk I'm willing to take to help someone smaller than me. That's what I do."

Edmund frowned, but he removed his cape and wrapped it around Bucky's shoulders. "This should keep you warm until we arrive back at Cair Paravel."

Bucky reached up and placed his hand over Edmund's, holding it there. "Thank you."

"If you had any doubts about being the right man for the job, consider them absolved," Edmund replied, with a note of finality that only a king could muster.

* * *

Edmund insisted Bucky ride with him, and he received little protest. Bucky's hands were shaking as he climbed after Edmund onto the horse. His wet clothes soaked the back of Edmund's shirt as Bucky pressed against him, but Edmund hardly minded.

When Bucky went beneath the water, Edmund held his breath too. He'd barely had Bucky in his grasp and like that he could have been gone. And so willing to sacrifice himself for a Narnian citizen! It showed the true measure of him. He had assured Bucky's own faith in himself, but it confirmed to Edmund that he was correct in putting his faith in Bucky to start.

"I'm going to clean up," Bucky said as he dismounted. He reached up and removed the sodden cape. He handed it to Edmund. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Edmund watched as Bucky disappeared into the castle.

Edmund waited some time, stalling as he took care of the horses. He wanted to go after Bucky, but the man deserved at least time to wash himself before Edmund checked in on him. If he wanted Edmund to check in on him at all. No, he did. Edmund was sure of it.

Anew with certainty, Edmund went inside and went directly to Bucky's room. He took a breath and knocked on the door.

"Yeah?"

Edmund pushed open the door and walked into the room. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words got caught in his throat, and instead of talking, he stared.

Bucky's hair still wet, but he no longer smelled of lake water, though Edmund wouldn't have noticed if he did because Bucky was only wearing a cloth wrapped around his hips. His unclothed body was beautiful.

"Oh, I..." Edmund swallowed hard. He dragged his gaze up Bucky's body (and what a body it was!) to his face. "I wanted to see how you were. I wanted to be sure you were well."

"Yeah, I'm good," Bucky replied, running a hand through his hair. It all pushed away from his forehead. "Kinda cold, but I'm fine. No harm done."

"Good. I -- I wanted to be sure." Edmund took a step back. "I'll let you -- rest."

"Edmund."

He was halfway turned to the door when Bucky spoke. He turned back. "Yes?"

Bucky smiled. "Stay. Close the door and... stay." 

Edmund pulled the door shut. He hesitated, unsure if his legs would take him where he was going to go next. They might just buckle out from underneath him, but they carried him across the room Bucky. Their mouths crashed together, Edmund's tooth catching on Bucky's lip, but not sharp enough to cut.

Bucky chuckled. He tucked his hands on either side of Edmund's face and separated them just slightly. He laughed, their lips brushing against each other. He kissed Edmund softly. "There's no rush. I'm not going anywhere."

Edmund's stomach tightened, embarrassed by his own inexperience. He opened his eyes and found Bucky's smile genuine and fond. His anxiety eased away. Tentatively, he touched Bucky's bare chest, letting his hand splay over the cool skin. "I've never... before."

"I've only dabbled." Bucky smoothed the back of his fingers along the side of Edmund's throat and under his chin, eliciting a stirring like Edmund had never felt before. "I think we can figure it out."

"Yes," Edmund agreed and kissed him again, slower, taking his time, as his hands wandered. Bucky's body was firm and he wasn't sure how he ever went without touching it. He wanted to touch it forever.

Bucky grabbed a fistful of Edmund's shirt and tugged. "Off," he mumbled between kisses.

Edmund ran his mouth along Bucky's jaw, causing him to shudder. Oh, Edmund liked that response. He stepped back and allowed Bucky to strip him of his shirt. Bucky's eyes widened as he took in Edmund's body, the way Edmund had studied his moment before. He ran his hand up Edmund's side, and then back down again in a slow, contemplative stroke.

"Wow," Bucky said softly, and for the one who suggested they could take it slow, he kissed Edmund fiercely. He wrapped his arms around Edmund, grasping his bottom, and hoisted him up. Edmund slung his legs around Bucky's waist, knocking off his only covering.

From this angle, Edmund couldn't see anything, but that was all right. Bucky had been correct. They could take their time.

Bucky lay Edmund out on the bed. "You're gorgeous," he said, running a hand over Edmund's chest. He lowered his head and kissed Edmund's collarbone, hand palming Edmund's cock through his trousers.

Edmund gasped, grasping Bucky's hair between his fingers. He'd never felt anything quite like it, his blood coursing hot throughout his body, with Bucky's hands and mouth upon him. His entire body tensed and he felt the most immense pleasure. It was similar to touching himself, but it was so much better when it was a shared pleasure.

"Oh," Edmund said. He caught his breath, aware that he'd possibly finished this encounter far too soon. "I..."

Bucky grinned and kissed Edmund on the neck. "Take off your boots. Stay a while, huh?"

Edmund smiled back at him, still a bit dazed from his climax. "I'd like that, yes."

"Good."

Once Edmund was appropriately stripped, they curled up together beneath the blanket, and Edmund took Bucky in hand. Bucky lasted a little bit longer than Edmund had, but from the look of pure bliss on his face, Edmund knew he'd been wanting this for just as long.

When they were finished, Edmund turned his face toward Bucky and smiled. "I knew you came to Narnia with purpose."

"Sleeping with you is a purpose?" Bucky asked, laughter in his voice. He ran his fingers through Edmund's hair, leaving his hand to rest at the back of Edmund's head.

Edmund laughed too. "I've always felt set apart from my siblings. They've always had something I lacked. I don't know what it is, but for a long time it felt like it was me against them. In that, I did something terrible, and, while I'd always been told I was absolved, I... still felt separated. I had this loneliness that I thought perhaps I deserved. Then Aslan brought you to me, and for the first time I feel truly forgiven."

Bucky gave him a long look, his eyes soft and understanding, then kissed his forehead. "I'm glad I could help."


End file.
